University of Iowa Athletes Competing in NCAA Track Championships; Sowinski Finishes 1st in Semis

Eight University of Iowa athletes are competing in the 2012 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Des Moines at Drake Stadium. 

It runs until Saturday.

Here are UI's finalists:

• Justin Austin, 200 meters. Semis are at 5:30 p.m., Thursday; and finals are at 11:30 a.m., Saturday.
• Matt Banse, hammer. Finals are at 2 p.m., Friday.
• Matt Byers, javelin. Finals are at 12:30 p.m., Thursday.
• Troy Doris, triple jump. Finals are at 4:30 p.m., Friday.
• Ethan Holmes, 110- and 400-meter hurdles. For the 110-meter hurdles, the semis are at 6:50 p.m. on Thursday; and finals are at noon on Saturday. For the 400-meter hurdles, Holmes finished 18th in the semis on Wednesday. The finals for the 400 is 5:35 p.m. on Friday.
• Ashley Liverpool, 400 meters. Liverpool finished 13th in the semis on Wednesday. The finals for the 400 are Friday at 7 p.m.
• McKenzie Melander, 5,000 meters. The finals are at 12:19 p.m. on Saturday.
• Erik Sowinski, 800 meters. Sowinski finished 1st in the semis on Wednesday. The finals are at 6:10 p.m. on Friday.

Several of the athletes competing at the championships in Des Moines have already qualified for the 2012 London Olympic Trials, and others could join the list with top times. The Olympic Games on July 27 to August 12.

For more on the athletes take a look at the guide provided by the university.